1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reactor, such as a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), and particularly to a reactor having a (flat-plate) stack structure in which sheet bodies and support members for supporting the sheet bodies are stacked in alternating layers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a solid oxide fuel cell having the above-mentioned stack structure has been known (refer to, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 2004-342584). In this case, the sheet body (may also be referred to as the “single cell”) can be a fired body in which a solid electrolyte layer formed from zirconia, a fuel electrode layer, and an air electrode layer are arranged in layers such that the fuel electrode layer is formed on the upper surface of the solid electrolyte layer and such that the air electrode layer is formed on the lower surface of the solid electrolyte layer. Hereinafter, the support member (may also be referred to as the “interconnector”) adjacent to the upper side of each of the sheet bodies may also be referred to as the “upper support member,” and the support member adjacent to the lower side of each of the sheet bodies may also be referred to as the “lower support member.”
A perimetric portion of each of the sheet bodies is held between the lower surface of a perimetric portion of the upper support member and the upper surface of a perimetric portion of the lower support member. By employment of this configuration, a fuel flow channel to which a fuel gas is supplied is formed in a space between the lower surface of a plane portion of the upper support member, the plane portion being located inward of the perimetric portion of the upper support member, and the upper surface of the fuel electrode layer of the sheet body. Similarly, an air flow channel to which a gas (air) that contains oxygen is supplied is formed in a space between the upper surface of a plane portion of the lower support member, the plane portion being located inward of the perimetric portion of the lower support member, and the lower surface of the air electrode layer of the sheet body.
According to the above configuration, in a state in which the sheet bodies are heated to a working temperature of the solid oxide fuel cell (e.g., 800° C.; hereinafter, merely referred to as the “working temperature”), a fuel gas and air are supplied to the fuel flow channels and to the air flow channels, respectively, whereby the fuel gas and air come into contact with the upper surfaces and the lower surfaces, respectively, of the sheet bodies. As a result, electricity-generating reactions occur in the sheet bodies.